Thursday, July 17, 2008

strawberry tea.

Ok, Ok. More strawberries. I have been cooking and photographing all kinds of food, but somehow keep returning to strawberries for the posts! They epitomize summer, and their tangy sweetness is so wonderful while it lasts.

I have been making strawberry tea and my husband is drinking it by the gallon, it seems. I think it is a popular drink! It is easy to make and really captures the strawberry flavor without being overbearing-and is very refreshing in this heat!

ingredients::2 cups strawberries6 tea bags (I use a good quality organic green tea)6 cups of wateragave or honeyfresh herbs - mint, pineapple sage or lemon verbena would all be great

I make a strawberry liquid by taking 2 cups of frozen strawberries and letting them thaw in a freezer bag. Mash the bag a bit and then pour through a strainer. You get a good amount of strawberry liquid this way. If you only have fresh strawberries, you can also heat them gently in a pot for 15 minutes or so on low/med heat - then smash and strain that to get the liquid. Use the pulpy part over your yogurt, and pour the liquid into a cup.

Pour almost boiling water over the tea bags and let steep. While the tea is steeping, pound your fresh herbs (I used 7 pineapple sage leaves) a little to get the oils going. Put those into the pitcher with your tea bags. Let it all steep together for about 10 minutes. Add agave or honey to taste. Strain out the herbs and teabags, add the strawberry liquid. Let it come to room temperature before serving over ice!

ingredient tip::

Buy fair trade organic tea. Tea production is land- and labor-intensive--crops are frequently treated with many chemicals in order to produce cheap, high yields. Organic tea is free of these chemicals; fair trade tea provides a living wage for those involved in its production, and improves quality of life for the workers while maintaining a healthier ecosystem.

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Hi! I am Denise, mom to two free spirited boys. We spend our days living creatively and mindfully, unschooling, following our passions, eating locally, creating our life -- and having fun.
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